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Brits face ‘horrendous’ 3-hour queues on tarmac at Tenerife after huge changes in airport

Visitors to the sunny island of Tenerife have shared their experiences of the airport amid claims of three-hour queues, and while some have breezed through, others have found themselves facing long delays to the start of their holidays

Brits visiting the popular holiday island of Tenerife have reported ‘horrendous’ and long queues and issues getting through the airport, both when arriving and departing.

Unhappy holidaymakers have told the Mirror that they’ve been stuck in the automatic doors and made to queue outside on the tarmac, with elderly passengers kept waiting for two hours.

The issues partly stem from the newly introduced Entry/Exit System (EES), which Brits have had to use when travelling into EU countries since October 12, 2025. It seems to have led to long waits for passengers on the Spanish island. Local news outlet Canarian Weekly reports that only five of the 36 new eGates are in use in Tenerife South Airport.

When contacted about the issue, airport operator AENA stated that border control is the responsibility of Policía Nacional. The spokesperson said: “The European Commission determined that the Entry Exit System starts on October 12. Its implementation will be gradual over a period of 180 days, until April 10, when its deployment will be fully completed.”

Recent holidaymakers to Tenerife have had mixed experiences using the airport. Anne Ramsey, a frequent visitor to the island, said that when her party arrived on December 19 on an early morning flight from Glasgow Prestwick Airport, “we went straight through”.

However, a few weeks later on January 23, Anne arrived on a plane from Manchester and described the queues as ‘horrendous’. “They had to keep us on the transfer bus as the queue into the terminal was queuing outside, and there was nowhere for anyone else to go.”, she said.

Annie revealed the chaos outside the airport, saying: “People were getting stuck in the glass doors entering the terminal as they kept opening and shutting them in an attempt to control the passenger numbers.”

During this trip, Annie was accompanied by her 90-year-old mother, and said they “queued for nearly two hours.” At this point, it was term time, so the family lanes designed for groups with children under 12 were less busy, but Annie claims there was “no attempt to move people from the longer queue to the shorter one.”

She also faced technical difficulties, with eGates crashing, meaning passengers needed to wait until they were up and running again. However, her sister, who had arrived on the same date just two hours later, faced no queues.

Larry Hicken, a member of the popular Facebook group Tenerife Holiday Forum, shared two images showing long queues upon arrival at the airport. He said he landed at 4pm on January 26, but it wasn’t until 6.10pm he made it through border control.

However, a few people said they’d had positive experiences at the airport. Pip Jane Tolliss said she flew out on December 10, 2025, and had a smooth experience on arrival. Her fingerprints weren’t taken, but a photo was, and she got through in 10 minutes.

On the way back on January 3, she said it was busier, but “security moved quickly. Went through gate C and no machines just a small queue moving very quickly as just stamping passport.”

Pip admits that experiences at the airport can vary. “Having spoken to many people during our stay, it seems the experience can be very different from day to day. We were lucky, I guess!”

Representatives of the Policía Nacional España have been contacted for comment.

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